1689 Confession of Faith

Paragraph 3 affirms that God's electing grace is not limited by age or mental ability. Though faith normally comes through hearing the gospel, God is able to regenerate elect infants and those mentally incapable by His Spirit apart from ordinary means. This is a statement of comfort and confidence in God's sovereignty—that He is not bound by human limitations, and His mercy reaches even those who cannot comprehend.

Paragraph 2 emphasizes that the effectual call of God is not based on anything in the sinner—not on foreseen faith, good works, or human effort. It is a gift of sovereign grace, rooted in God's eternal purpose. Though the gospel may be preached broadly, only those whom God calls inwardly will come to Christ. This call is not earned or merited—it is entirely free, motivated by God’s mercy

Paragraph 1 defines effectual calling as the sovereign and gracious act by which God brings spiritually dead sinners to life. This is not a general invitation alone, but the inward work of the Spirit applying the gospel with saving power. God calls the elect out of sin and death, enlightening their minds, renewing their wills, and drawing them to Christ. This is all of grace—apart from foreseen faith or merit.

Paragraph 5 completes the doctrine of free will by describing the believer’s ongoing struggle and final victory. Though the regenerate are given a new heart and true liberty, their will is not yet perfectly or immutably aligned with God’s will. In this life, the will remains subject to weakness, corruption, and temptation. Yet, because the believer is united to Christ, he grows in holiness by grace.

Paragraph 4 proclaims the glorious truth that God, through effectual calling, restores the sinner’s will so that he is truly free to turn to Christ. When God regenerates the heart, He renews the will—not by destroying it, but by liberating it from the bondage of sin. The person is now enabled and made willing to repent and believe. This is not a coerced conversion but a joyful and voluntary turning to Christ, made possible by grace.

Paragraph 3 highlights the complete inability of man, in his fallen state, to turn to God on his own. Though he retains the faculty of will, he lacks all spiritual ability. He is utterly indisposed and disabled to choose spiritual good. Man is not merely sick—he is spiritually dead and hostile to God. Therefore, he cannot save himself, cooperate with grace, or even prepare himself to receive grace.

“Man, in his state of innocency, had freedom and power to will and to do that which was good and well pleasing to God…” This recalls...

“God hath endued the will of man with that natural liberty and power of acting upon choice…” Man is not a machine or puppet. From...

Paragraph 10 clarifies the scope of Christ’s mediatorial work: it is limited to the elect, those chosen by the Father and given to the Son. Though Christ is sufficient to save all, He is effectual only for those who are united to Him by faith. He does not intercede for the world in general but for His people specifically. This underscores the particularity of grace and the intentionality of redemption. For the believer, this brings deep assurance.

Paragraph 9 explains why Christ had to take on human nature. To redeem fallen men, the Mediator had to be fully man—yet without sin. His human nature enables Him to fulfill the law, suffer in our place, and serve as a compassionate and faithful High Priest. Though glorified now, Jesus retains His true humanity, ever interceding for us. This union between divine and human natures makes Him uniquely able to save, sympathize, and strengthen His people

“This office of Mediator between God and man is proper only to Christ…” Here the Confession reiterates Christ’s exclusive role  as...

Paragraph 7 affirms that Christ is the only Mediator between God and man. His unique qualifications—divine and human natures in one Person—fit Him alone for this role. No angel, saint, or mere man can stand in this position. His office is nontransferable, and His work is exclusive. This strikes at the heart of man-made religion and underscores the utter sufficiency of Jesus.

Paragraph 6 explains how Christ’s redeeming work is effectually applied to the elect. Though the atonement was accomplished at Calvary, its benefits are distributed through time by the Holy Spirit. Christ, as Mediator, intercedes and sends the Spirit to call and regenerate His people. This union with Him is personal and unbreakable—every one for whom He died is brought to faith and kept by grace. This guards against a distant or mechanical view of salvation.

Paragraph 5 teaches the purposeful design of Christ’s atoning work. Jesus fully accomplished redemption for those given to Him by the Father. His death was not a general offer hoping for takers, but a particular redemption that secured salvation for the elect. He satisfied divine justice and reconciled His people to God, guaranteeing their spiritual inheritance. This truth magnifies God’s sovereign grace and the sufficiency of Christ’s sacrifice.

Paragraph 4 unfolds the core of Christ’s redemptive work: His perfect obedience and substitutionary death. Jesus fulfilled all righteousness by keeping the law in our place and then offering Himself as a sacrifice for sin. His death was not merely an example, but a real, propitiatory offering to satisfy divine justice. He bore the wrath of God due to His people, purchasing their full pardon and eternal inheritance. This work was voluntary, effective, and complete.

“The Lord Jesus in His human nature thus united to the divine…” This opening line reminds us that Christ, having assumed a true human...

Paragraph 2 teaches the glorious mystery of Christ’s Person: He is fully God and fully man in one undivided Person forever. The eternal Son took to Himself a human nature—body and soul—without sin, yet truly human. His two natures are distinct yet united without confusion or division. This union is essential to His mediatorial work. Only one who is God could save, and only one who is man could stand in our place. This doctrine safeguards the gospel itself.

Paragraph 1 of Chapter 8 introduces Jesus Christ as the sole Mediator between God and man. Appointed by the Father and eternally begotten, He is both fully God and fully man—two distinct natures in one person. This union enables Him to fulfill His office as Prophet, Priest, and King, and to stand as the only Savior of sinners. His appointment was not reactionary but eternal, set forth in God’s covenantal plan of redemption.

Paragraph 3 unfolds the Covenant of Grace—God’s eternal and merciful plan to save sinners through Jesus Christ. Unlike the Covenant of Works, which required perfect obedience, the Covenant of Grace offers life and salvation through faith in a Mediator. This covenant is progressively revealed throughout redemptive history, from the first promise in Eden to its fulfillment in the New Covenant. Though administered differently in past ages, the substance remains the same: salvati

Paragraph 2 explains that God made a covenant with Adam before the fall, offering life on the condition of perfect obedience. Though the term “Covenant of Works” is not used here, the theology is unmistakable. Adam was given a law, written on his heart and expressed by command, with the promise of life for obedience and death for disobedience. This covenant is foundational—it sets the stage for the gospel. In Adam, all fell. But in Christ, the Second Adam, we are raised.